Antenna support and feedthrough



V n- 1943- H. A. BRYERS ,434, 38

ANTENNA SUPPORT AND FEED THROUGH Filed June 28, 1944 INVENTOR. HARVEY A. BRYERS FIG'B V /QZZ Q /U Q ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. (757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention to be hereinafter set forth relates to antenna supports and feedthroughs.

The combined supports and feedthroughs at present in use do not make adequate provision for connecting the transmitter. They are not adequately weatherproof. They are not sumciently protected against shock or vibration. They are not adequately grounded through the skin of the plane, when installed. They are not capable of standardized quantity production.

The present invention overcomes the above and other objections and provides a simple, eflicient and compact antenna support and feedthrough which may be produced in quantity at relatively low cost and which may be quickly, easily and reliably installed with minimum labor and. time.

In order to more clearly disclose the construction, operation and use of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of the present application.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings like reference characters designate the same parts in the different views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal cross section through the invention, as applied;

Fig. 2 is a right hand side elevation of the invention shown in Fig. 1, with skin of plane omitted, and

Fig. 3 is a similar view from the left.

While certain materials will be specifically mentioned hereinafter, it will be understood that other suitable or equivalent materials may be used.

Generally speaking, the antenna support and feedthrough of this invention is an assembly of a number of features or parts in one combined unit which may be readily, quickly and reliably installed in a single, simple operation.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I indicates a base or cover having the usual sleeve 2. Preferably, base I and sleeve 2 are of brass and cadmium plated, the sleeve being secured to the base in any usual and well known manner. To the attaching flange 3 of base I is bolted or otherwise suitably secured a phenolic insulating plate 4 of considerably less diameter than the greatest diameter of flange 3, the heads of the bolts being countersunk in plate 4. Plate 4 is centrally disposed relatively to flange 3. This leaves an annular band of flange 3 concentric with plate 4 but extending radially therebeyond. Coextensive with this band and concentric with plate 4 and base I, a cadmium plated brass ring 5 is provided as a part of and integral with flange 3.

Securely anchored centrally in the phenolic plate 4 is the silver plated brass stud 8, extending concentrically within sleeve 2 approximately to the outer end of the sleeve. The outer end of stud 8 is flanged as at 9 and is provided with threads I9 along its body to receive binding or clamping nut II with a washer suitably interposed between the plate 4 and adjacent nut Ii. By tightening nut I I, the stud is securely clamped in operative position centrally of disc 4 and extending centrally within sleeve 2. Stud Bis bored out centrally for a considerable distance as at I2 and threaded to receive a threaded conducting or feedthrough rod I3 which may be bound in place by check nut I4 turned down thereon against flange 9. Preferably rod I3 is half hard brass, zinc plated. Straddling rod I3 is a ceramic insulator cone I5, with a cushioning or shock absorbing gasket I6 between it and the plate 4, preferably cemented to cone I 5. This gasket may be rubber, neoprene or similar shock absorbing, insulating and weatherproofing material. An important characteristic of the material is its shock absorbing properties. The ceramic cone is brittle and the continual vibration of a plane would rapidly chip its edges at the point of contact between it and the plane skin overlying the phenolic washer. The shock absorbing gasket I 6 takes up the shock, prevents this chipping and provides a satisfactory weather seal. Rod I3 extends an appreciable distance beyond the cone I 5 to provide an adequate binding post or connection for an antenna. To secure cone I5 in operative position and firmly seated on its gasket IS clamping nuts I! are turned down on the rod and against the small end of the cone. To provide a broader. bearing surface, a plate washer I8 is interposed between the adjacent nut I1 and the near end of cone I 5. As a further protection against vibration, a shock absorbing gasket IQ of rubber, neoprene or the like is interposed between plate washer I8 and the near end of cone I5. Preferably nuts 8, I4 and I1 and washer I8 are steel plated with zinc or cadmium to be rustor corrosion-resistant. The same applies to the nuts and bolts connecting plate 4 and flange 3.

The antenna may be connected in usual and well known manner to the rod I3 by simply backing off a nut I1, connecting the antenna and then again turning up the nut.

Connection within the plane whether for transmitting or receiving is of standard and well known type and need not be here illustrated or described.

Bolt and nut 6 and I, preferably steel plated either with cadmium or zinc, securely anchor the unit in operative position in the skin 20 of the plane. For this purpose, an opening is cut through the skin of the plane of the same size as the greatest interior diameter of cone [5. Then the cone I is removed by simply sliding it from rod l3 after first turning off the nut IT. The complete unit, except the cone l5 and co.- operating nut and washer is then put in place centrally within that opening. In that position phenolic plate 4 will be concentric with ring 5 and with the opening through the skin of the plane, rod l3 extending centrally through that opening and in direct alignment with the longitudinal center of sleeve 2 and stud 8. Next the bolts 6. are passed through plane skin 20, ring 5 and flange 3 and nuts I are turned on. This gives a very good and reliable ground connection and, at the same time, a solid and substantial anchorage of the unit in the skin of the plane. Next, the ceramic oonei5 is slipped back over rod [3 and seated with its gasket I6 on the corresponding band of the surface of the plane skin immediately surrounding the opening through the plane skin. The plane skin does not extend inwardly beyond the lower edge of the inner wall of cone l5. Gasket l9, washer I8 and one nut H are then applied, nut I! being turned down sufficiently to clamp cone IS in operative position. An antenna may then be connected to rod I3 in usual manner and positively secured by tightening the second nut l1 against it.

The device thus constructed constitutes a complete unit readily applicable as a unit and, when applied, providing a simple, efficient, solid, antenna support and feedthrough.

It is thought that the construction, operation and use of the invention will be clear from the preceding detailed description.

Changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and disposition of the several parts of the invention within the scope of the appended claims, Without departing from the field of the invention and it is meant to include all such within this application wherein only a preferred form has been set forth by way of illustration and with no intention to, in any degree, limit the invention thereby.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. An antenna support for a vehicular surface comprising a metallic recessed base having an outwardly extending flange formed along its perimeter, an upwardly extending metallic ring integral with said flange, an annular plate of dielectric material disposed on said flange, the outer perimeter of said plate, being contiguous with the inner periphery of said ring, said plate and said ring being concentric and coplanar, means for attaching said ring to said surface and for grounding said ring and said base, a stud centrally carried by said plate, a rod anchored in and projecting upwardly from said stud, a dielectric cone concentric with said plate, said cone having an apical opening receptive to said rod, and means positioned adjacent the base and apex of said cone for mounting said cone with respect to the upper surface of-said plate and said vehicular surface whereby said cone insulates said rod from said vehicular surface and provides mechanical support for said rod.

2. An antenna support for a vehicular surface comprising a recessed metallic base having a pee ripheral flange, a metallic ring formed about the outer portion of the upper surface of said flange, an annular insulating plate disposed on the inner portion of the upper surface of said flange, adjacent surfaces of said plate and said ring being closely contiguous, means for attaching said ring to said Vehicular surface and for grounding said ring and base, support means centrally carried by said plate, a dielectric cone having an apical aperture and a base diameter slightly greater than the transverse dimension of said supporting means, a rod fixed in said support means and disposed through the apical aperture of said cone, and means fixing said cone to said rod in spaced relationship with said plate whereby vertical sec,- tions of said cone are in contact only with said rod and the base of said cone is maintained remote from remaining portions of said antenna support.

HARVEY A. BRYERS.

E EREN ES TED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

